Hungary declared a state of emergency in three counties. A flood of toxic red sludge from an alumina plant engulfed several towns and burned people through their clothes. Plaster is being poured into the Marcal River to bind the toxic sludge and prevent it from flowing. One million cubic metres of sludge has leaked, affecting 40 square kilometers. 390 residents had to be relocated and 110 were rescued, from the three flooded towns. Firefighters and soldiers are cleaning the mess up. The sludge is a waste product from aluminum production and is toxic. The chemical burns caused by the sludge could take days to emerge and what may seem like superficial injuries could later cause damage to deeper tissue. The red sludge is, by volume, the largest amount of toxic waste in Hungary. The company responsible denied that it should have taken more precautions to shore up the reservoir.
I cant believe that a environmental disaster of this size could happen today. Government and the aluminum smelter should have taken proper precautions to prevent this from happening. Death and destruction will now cause the government to act. IT will take a very long time for the country to clean this mess up. There will a permanent affect on the land and it would also cost millions to clean it up. Both the government (taxpayers) and the company will bear the cost. There will also be a lot of law suites. I hope the company has insurance. What do you do with the sludge? Is it just kept in a reservoir.
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